1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a towelette product and a refill package for dispensing towelettes.
2. The Related Art
Chemically impregnated pads, sheets and tissues (collectively defined as towelettes) are established articles of commerce. They are generally utilized for personal hygiene, cosmetic purposes and household cleaning applications. Fluid impregnated towelettes require packaging which avoids evaporation of solvents. Dry towelettes impregnated with dry chemical coatings (e.g. surfactant compositions) require exclusion of atmospheric moisture during storage periods. Problems arise where a stack of impregnated towelettes are packed together in a common container. Dispensing of a single item requires resealability of the container to prevent the articles from either drying out or absorbing unwanted moisture. Notable advances in the art include the following disclosures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,506 (Julius) describes a resealable dispenser for delivering interleaved, individual moisture-impregnated tissues from a housing having sufficient rigidity to retain its shape subsequent to its manufacture. A top wall includes a recess portion provided with an orifice for removing individual tissues from the housing. A resealable flexible label is attached to the outer surface of the top wall and completely covers the recessed portion. In one alternative embodiment, a bottom of the dispenser is provided with a bottom sheet optionally formed of one or more layers of thin synthetic resin film.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,897 (Muckenfuhs et al.) discloses a disposable, compactable package for delivering a stack of tissues. The package may be produced as a thermoform. A tabbed resealable label is secured over a bottom area of the package.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,436 (Nakamura) discloses a resealable dispenser-container for wet tissues. A deformable pouch containing a stack of the tissues is held rigid with the assistance of a shape maintaining member even after most of the tissues have been dispensed. Suitable shape maintaining members include an outer box surrounding the pouch fixed with an adhesive on an undersurface of the box roof which prevents pouch wall collapse. A second embodiment is a U-shaped frame inserted within the pouch. Both of these solutions present either cost or manufacturing difficulties.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,325 (Deflander et al.) describes a pouch for storing interleaved tissues with a resealable flap opening. The pouch is housed in a rigid outer container which in its closed position is sufficiently air-tight to prevent exchange of air between contents of the container and the outside atmosphere. An anti-slip member such as a glue strip is attached to the pouch and projects through a hole in the bottom of the container to prevent the latter from slipping on a support surface. The air-tight outer container requires considerable plastic material in its construction. Not only is the container heavy but the relatively large amount of plastic presents an environmental disposal issue.
Commercial expressions of towelette packaging art include a Kao Biore.RTM. dispenser of fluid impregnated tissues. An outer relatively rigid case surrounds a relatively soft refill pack of tissues within a flexible foil package. The outer case has a cover portion with top and side walls while a bottom wall is sealably/replaceably snapped onto the underside of the cover. An aperture for dispensing towelettes and hinged lid is constructed in the top wall of the upper cover. Evaporation of moisture requires a tight seal between side walls and bottom wall as well as a sufficient friction seal of the lid against the aperture. It is not always easy to ensure that both types of seals are sufficiently tight. Most especially, the floor wall because of its relatively large sealing perimeter requires great care in closure with the bottom edge of the side walls. A related package with similar structural problems is also commercially in the Japanese market sold under the Silcot trademark.
Evident from the foregoing selection of technology is the need for improved, more efficient mechanisms for ensuring good seals to prevent moisture or solvents from transferring in either direction through the seals.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a towelette product which can maintain a stack of towelettes hermetically sealed from the atmosphere during extended storage periods, especially after multiple openings for dispensing of individual tissues.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a towelette product which after having dispensed most of a stack of towelettes is substantially as efficiently resealable as in its initial fully towelette filled position.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a towelette product in refill form wherein the refill is sufficiently sturdy to stand alone on store shelves without further wrapping such as within a carton.